A litter of squirming puppies crowd around a panting Golden Retriever dam, vying for an open spot for a tasty meal of warm milk. One would assume to see Golden Retriever puppies latching onto a Golden Retriever mama, but something more amazing is happening – they’re actually hyena puppies!
Life as a puppy breeder is never typical as Pawrade breeder partner Leona and her family can tell you. They’ve encountered incredible experiences as breeders, such as being asked to help nurse a hyena litter from the local zoo. With over 20 years of experience, Leona checks all the boxes and more for being a trusted breeder Pawrade is honored to work with, producing quality puppies that adhere to our rigorous standards. Leona is proud to offer quality dog breeds like Poodles, Cavapoos, Goldendoodles, Shih Tzus, Golden Retrievers, and Havanese puppies.
We’re spotlighting Leona and her kennel as part of our Meet the Breeder series so you can see how much Leona goes the extra mile to offer healthy, well-adjusted puppies ready to be your canine companion for life.
Leona’s Journey as a Puppy Breeder
Leona has been a breeder bringing happiness to families for 20 years, beginning as a young married couple. “It was my husband’s project then, and I wasn’t that on board. However, things can change over 20 years! About 10 years ago, I’d had my babies and raised my 5 children. I was then more available to work on other things,” explains Leona.
Raising her children has helped Leona determine which breeds have worked great for their family. Leona has fallen in love, particularly with tiny Toy Poodle puppies. She notes that Toy Poodles are very intelligent little puppies. She prefers particular colors; however, despite her preferences, she knows the parents’ health needs to be the main focus over just choosing parents based on color. She also enjoys hybrid puppies like Cavapoos and Goldendoodles and purebred dog breeds as well.
Each dog breed is best suited for particular types of homes. “Dogs can be like a person and provide companionship,” says Leona. “Poodles can be prissy, prancy dogs perfect for a young couple who are first-time dog owners starting a new chapter in their lives with few distractions. Goldendoodles can be a better fit for a family.” No matter the home environment, Leona prepares all of her puppies for wonderful lives beyond her kennel.
A Typical Day at Leona’s Kennel
Raising puppies really is a 24/7 job, so Leona and her kennel staff are technically always available, even during the night. “Some days are calm, and other days can be different. We try to be on call for whatever comes up,” explains Leona.
Their day begins early to get the kennel business and puppies up and running. “We’re in the kennel starting at 6:30 checking out all the dogs first thing in a walk-through, evaluating anything unusual. A worker comes at 7 a.m. and takes care of cleaning,” explains Leona. They let out older puppies to run around the fenced-in play yard area, and they’re very excited to go outside after being woken up and fed.
The duties extend beyond raising puppies, involving administrative, marketing, and other tasks when they’re not directly interacting with the puppies’ care. “Puppies tend to go home on Tuesdays, so we work on paperwork. There’s never a time I shouldn’t be getting new photos to keep their listings and customers updated to see their progress. Every day is different, and we do not have a true routine day,” says Leona.
Selecting Parents For Responsible Breeding
One question potential customers like to ask is, “How do you select parents for your litters?” Leona finds parents from among her own puppies and from other reputable breeders. They select potential parents regarding testing results, physical characteristics, and temperaments. “Testing is high on our list to see what we look at to choose adults,” notes Leona. Whether the puppies are from her own litter or other breeders, Leona begins choosing puppies when they’re as early as 8-20 weeks old and looks for qualities that make great doggy parents. Leona explains, “By the time they’re a year old, we can evaluate them at the veterinarian to see if there are overbite or patella issues. We will not breed puppies with those types of health conditions.”
Leona considers each breed’s standard when selecting physical features they wish to strengthen in litters. Whether they’re looking for a thicker coat, a shorter nose, or other factors, she pays attention to parents to have a better chance of breeding characteristics they feel represent the breed to then pass on to future generations.
Parents’ temperaments are another important consideration in passing down the qualities people look for in well-adjusted puppies. If Leona were to purchase potential dams and sires from random breeders, she would not know the kennel’s commitment to understanding choices for desirable traits for each breed. She notes, “Usually these dogs have certain conditions.” Instead, Leona works with reputable breeders who understand how to handle puppies in the best manner possible.
Happy Birthday, Puppies!
The puppies’ birthday is an exciting, busy day for Leona and her kennel staff. They keep the environment calm and warm for the babies and mama, using heated pads to ensure a cozy temperature so puppies get the warmth they need to maintain the correct body temperature. “We leave Mom to do her thing and help her with nursing and colostrum supplements,” notes Leona. “By Day Three, we give Mama a bath.”
Collecting and tracking the data for each puppy is needed to check growth rates and know which cutie is which. “From Day One, we begin paperwork on each puppy by documenting their weights and microchipping them in the first three days to keep track of them,” states Leona.
Socializing Puppies For Future Success
Leona begins socializing the puppies as early as possible right after their birth. Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) for puppies is a technique utilized to introduce gentle stressors through handling in the first few weeks of life to prepare puppies to cope with bigger stressors they’ll encounter later. Five gentle stressors are applied for 3-5 seconds daily and may include:
- Tickling in between toes gently with a Q-tip
- Holding the puppy vertically to work on head and neck strength
- Gently tilting the puppy’s head toward the ground
- Resting the puppy on its back
- Placing their paws on a cool cloth
“From Day 3 is when we start neurological stimulation by cleaning them and picking them up. We touch all their paws and their belly, gently hold them upside down, and get them used to touch,” explains Leona. Exposing puppies to early touch helps them be at ease around humans instead of jumping from a human’s sudden touch. These simple, short exercises performed once a day will help kickstart a puppy’s neurological system to get ready for future stimuli.
Leona provides a variety of socialization opportunities for puppies as part of her daily routine. “We bring puppies with us into the kitchen and take them on walks to get them used to family life,” she notes. Leona’s immediate family and kennel assistants are not the only people who get to help socialize puppies. “We have lots of guests and family members who visit. I have 10 nieces and nephews with some being a young age. They play so nicely with the puppies! They dress them up, take them on walks, and have so much fun. It’s a great experience for the puppies,” she says. Socializing puppies is truly a family affair to give them new experiences. Allowing puppies to walk on various surfaces like kitchen floors and grass helps get them used to different environments they will encounter beyond the kennel. Introducing puppies to children allows puppies to become prepared for family life, especially boisterous little ones who are learning how to interact with puppies safely. Interacting with people of various ages sets them up to be more receptive to people in general, thereby reducing future separation anxiety issues in puppies.
Leona is a Canine Care Certified breeder through Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. This program “sets forth rigorous, science-based, expert-reviewed standards for canine physical and behavioral welfare in areas such as nutrition, veterinary care, housing, handling, and exercise.” Participating puppies benefit from a custom behavioral wellness program that includes socialization, enrichment, and exercise for adult dogs and puppies. They enjoy high-quality living facilities with a variety of flooring and outdoor access to get them used to different surfaces and environments. Puppies are under comprehensive physical health treatment and receive preventative care. Breeders must adhere to canine welfare and continuing education to stay sharp and in the know.
Leona’s efforts have paid off with customers noticing how well her puppies are prepared when they arrive at their new homes. Leona says, “People reach out to us after their puppy is home and are so much happier with our dogs than others they have adopted from other places on socialization and health, and the Canine Care program has helped with that. One older gentleman told us, ‘I need you to know that I’ve never had a dog that came home and did such a good job. My puppy was prepared for crate training and sleeping through the night.’” Leona is a shining example of how our Pawrade breeder partners go above and beyond to offer healthy puppies already on their way to being well-adjusted companions.
When it’s time to leave for their new homes, Leona’s puppies are not sent home empty-pawed, as she provides several extra perks for customers. “We send home a gift bag with Pawtree food, a blankie with scents from the kennel, and a toy,” Leona explains. Sometimes, potential puppy owners will request breeding rights to have their own puppies. “We do sell breeding rights sometimes for an extra fee.”
Protecting a puppy’s identity is a feature Leona offers that goes beyond a simple collar with a name and phone number. She uses high-tech options that some potential puppy owners are not even aware exist, giving her puppies the highest level of identity protection in case they are unfortunately lost or separated from their owners. Leona gives each puppy a microchip with a twist. In addition to a microchip, “We have a security tag with a QR code that goes with the microchip to wear on the puppies,” she notes. “The new name is registered, and the tag will hold information for pet documentation and the vaccination record. If the dog gets separated, the QR code can be scanned and will immediately send notification of the location to the owner.” Providing cutting-edge technology for puppy identification demonstrates how Leona truly cares about the future safety of her puppies.
Communication does not stop after puppies reach their new homes. Leona loves to get updates from customers to see how life with their new furry friend is going. “I love to hear from them. Sometimes I reach out to take the time to send a message or call. My desire is to reach out to all puppy buyers to connect and be there for them if there’s something they need.” Continuing a relationship beyond the sale is just one more way Leona provides a full adoption experience for puppy owners.
Beyond the Joyful Pile of Puppies
Spending time in the kennels to make sure dams and puppies are healthy takes an immense amount of resources, but the duties do not stop beyond a wriggling puppy pile. Breeders are constantly seeking ways to improve their business practices, ranging from keeping up with the latest research, visiting other kennels, attending conferences to learn and network, and other endeavors that are outside the day-to-day duties of running a kennel. “We travel to conferences for educational purposes, see other kennels, and are very involved in our state organization,” says Leona. Her kennel is USDA Certified, and they have ties to groups such as the Indiana Council for Animal Welfare, Indiana State Board of Animal Health, Purdue University’s Canine Care program, veterinarian-approved puppy and dog training programs, and others.
Leona’s Favorite Moments
While Leona enjoys being a breeder overall, there are certain phases and moments as a breeder that stand out among the day-to-day of raising puppies. She notes that the first week of the puppies’ lives is a favorite because she loves helping the mama nurse the little helpless newborn babies. She sits with the dam and makes sure they are latched onto Mom and nursing well.
The first three days of life are crucial to ensure all puppies are eating enough from the mama for important brain and body development. The dam’s milk contains a sustenance called colostrum during the first few days of nursing. Colostrum in nursing dams consists of lipids, immunoglobins, carbohydrates, and other key nutrients essential for those first few days and weeks of life. Colostrum also helps prevent dehydration, hypoglycemia, and dehydration and protects them from infectious diseases. Leona notes, “By the 3rd to 5th day, I can relax and know these puppies do not need me anymore because Mom has fully taken over.”
Leona also loves the 6-week-old stage in puppies when they’re romping around and starting to move more. During the 6th week, puppies are gaining independence from the dam, learning to walk and begin developing their baby teeth. They are rapidly learning about the world around them, such as exploring their surroundings and bite inhibition from their littermates and Mama.
Wait a minute – Is that a Golden Retriever or a Hyena puppy?
You might wonder why a hyena is mentioned in a puppy breeder interview, but Leona has a unique, exciting story about how a litter of wild hyenas found its way to one of their nursing Golden Retriever dams. “We’ve had some really great experiences. I got a call from the local zoo with a request for a healthy dam to help feed 7 vulnerable wild African spotted hyena pups that had just been born. The hyena mama wasn’t going to nurse them. The next youngest adult was 7 years old, so they turned to us. The experience was so neat, and our mama did a great job. She’s an experienced mama. That speaks volumes about our socialization efforts paying off since she was in a new environment,” Leona says.
How a Pawrade Partnership Benefits Breeders and Customers
Raising puppies isn’t the only aspect of running a successful, reputable kennel. Leona is grateful to Pawrade for allowing her to focus on her business. “I’m very happy working with Pawrade,” notes Leona. “I needed the help with the marketing since I’m busy focusing on finding homes for our puppies.” While breeders shine with puppies, they may not have the time or specialized skills necessary to run full-blown marketing campaigns across several channels to reach a wider audience than what they’re able to do themselves, especially after a long day with puppies. “I think it’s great Pawrade can be a help to me. I’m busy, and I’m grateful to Pawrade for relaying all the information. I’d have to ask for help anyway!” says Leona.
Leona has peace of mind knowing Pawrade’s procedures make it easy for breeders to share their puppies through a nationwide platform. Pawrade handles marketing and customer service when matching with potential puppy parents. “Pawrade serves as the mediator for people who ask questions that otherwise I’d have to take time out of my day to answer,” notes Leona. “Pawrade helps me focus on the puppies and not marketing efforts.”
Find Puppies Like Leona’s at Pawrade
If you’re looking for the same caliber puppies for sale as Leona offers, you’re in luck. Pawrade carefully screens and selects reputable breeders like Leona who pass our rigorous selection process with flying colors. Discover the difference of a Pawrade puppy with the help of our Puppy Concierge team to find your new four-legged best friend!
